Canopy rain cover for a golf cart

ABSTRACT

An improved canopy assembly for attaching a rearwardly extending protective canopy to a motorized golf cart of the type having a top covering the passenger seating area and an uncovered bag storage area reward of the seating area that includes a golf bag support bracket that prevents the golf bags from tipping over. The canopy assembly includes a base member that attaches directly to the golf bag support bracket, a frame that pivotally attaches to the base member and a sheet of flexible water-resistant material suspended over the frame. The canopy assembly may be extended where the protective canopy substantially covers the cart&#39;s golf bag storage area protecting the bags from rainfall. The canopy assembly may be folded wherein the protective canopy is moved out of the way allowing golf clubs to be removed from the golf bags without hitting the canopy assembly.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation-in-part of application of Ser. No. 09/769,858,filed Jan. 25, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,416,109.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of golf cart canopycovers, specifically to an improved canopy cover that protects golf bagsand clubs from rain.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Canopy covers in the past have been utilized to protect golf bags andclubs located in the rear bag storage compartment of golf carts fromrain and damp weather conditions. It is well known in the sport that wetgolf club grips can hinder the performance of the player and isundesirable.

Generally, canopy covers attach to the back of the cart's top and to thecart's frame section that supports the top. The connection to the top istypically made with an extruded channel member that accepts the top edgeof the canopy. The connection to the cart's frame is made using astructural base member that serves as a mounting base for a framesupporting the canopy. The base member generally attaches directly tothe frame of the cart. However, different cart makes and models havedifferent frame structures making it necessary to change the canopy'sbase member's geometry to properly mate with the cart's structuralframe. Likewise, different top sections make it difficult to find oneextruded channel member that fits all golf cart tops.

An example of a canopy cover to protect golf bags and clubs is U.S. Pat.No. 4,830,037 to William T. Held. This canopy cover discloses a coverthat includes a channel that attaches to the back of the cart's top,base members that attach to the frame of the cart supporting the top ofthe cart and a canopy structure that supports the flexible canopy and ispivotally attached to the base member. As can be seen in the drawingsand description of this patent, the base members attached to the cartframe are specifically designed for a particular style cart with aspecific frame. It can be easily understood that if the frame design wassubstantially different as with another cart make or model, the basemembers of the canopy would likely need to be changed to enable them tostill attach to the frame. In fact, as detailed in the descriptionsection in this patent, the base members utilize two specificpreexisting holes in the cart's frame that must be located in a specificarea in order for the canopy's base members to attach. Additionally, itcan be seen that the canopy assembly of this device is complicated,requiring a number of different processes to produce a relatively largenumber of parts and a significant amount of assembly. This results in arelatively expensive product making it burdensome for a perspective userto purchase. The canopy assembly described in this patent cannot takeadvantage of the ability to produce one canopy assembly for manydifferent types of golf carts since different canopy base members wouldneed to be designed in order to attach to a variety of frames. Inaddition, the relatively large number of fasteners and other componentsreduces the robustness and reliability of the invention described inthis patent, increasing the likelihood of a loose fastener caused bynormal cart usage.

Another example of a cover to protect golf bags and clubs is U.S. Pat.No. 5,190,340 to Edwin H. Nuscher. This patent discloses a cover thatincludes a L-shaped top extending rearwardly from the top of the golfcart. In this patent the cover is supported by L-shaped support barsthat attach to the top assembly of the cart. The cover is substantiallyelevated above the top of the cart to allow access to the golf clubs inthe golf bags. However, one can easily see that this type of cover hasseveral key disadvantages. The substantial elevation of the cover abovethe cart's top would severely limit the cart's usage in heavily woodedareas where it is desirable for the cart to travel under low treebranches. The branches could collide into the described cover causingdamage to both the cover and the tree. Additionally, wind could easilycarry rain on an angle from the sides of the cover into the bag storagearea getting the golf bags and clubs wet. The L-shaped cover would alsoslow the cart's mobility when traveling against the wind since the coverhas a large face that is not aerodynamic allowing the wind to hinder tocart's performance. The L-shaped roof is also not aesthetically pleasingto the eye making its marketability questionable.

Another example of an enclosure to protect golf bags and clubs is U.S.Pat. No. 5,588,690 to Jerry M. Showalter. This patent discloses anenclosure that includes a roof panel, a hem portion coupled to the roofpanel, a back cover coupled to the roof panel and a second back covercoupled to the roof panel. The invention described in this patent hasseveral key disadvantages. The enclosure includes a roof panel thatoverlays the existing roof on the golf cart. This requires a lot ofmaterial that is relatively expensive leading to a more expensiveproduct. The enclosure lacks a frame structure to suspend itsubstantially over the clubs resulting in a cover that drapes over theclubs and bag. When the cover is wet, the player must roll or fold it upto expose the golf bags underneath. This action would likely result inthe user getting his or her hands wet. Additionally, the enclosure isnot aesthetically pleasing since it looks sloppy.

Another example of a cover to protect golf bags and clubs is U.S. Pat.No. 6,068,325 to Charles A Hughes. This patent discloses a cover thatincludes four panels that are sewn together along their edges to form alarge, rectangularly-shaped box that is secured to the frame of the cartthat supports the roof and to the back of the roof covering the seatingcompartment. The back panel of this cover contains a bag for storing theback panel after it has been folded up. However, this type of cover hasa number of disadvantages. To access the covered clubs the player isforced to unhook two hook and loop straps and roll the wet cover up.This is far from convenient and would likely result in the player andpossibly the clubs getting wet from the wet cover. The procedure is alsoslow requiring a significant amount of time. The player must unhook thecover, roll it up and let the cover back down while the player hits theball. The procedure has to be repeated to return the club back into thegolf bag.

Another example of a roll-up type cover to protect golf bags and clubsis U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,041 to Diane Sullivan. This patent discloses aroll-up type cover that utilizes a shock cord to attach the bottom ofthe cover to the cart and hooks to attach the top of the cover to theback edge of the cart's top. This cover has similar disadvantages asU.S. Pat. No. 6,068,325 in that the player must bend over and unhook twoshock cord hooks that extend from the bottom edge of the cover to allowthe player to roll the cover up. Again, it is likely that the playerwill get wet during this procedure and it is time consuming.Additionally, the cover lacks a structural frame making it sloppylooking and not aesthetically pleasing.

Another example of a roll-up cover to protect golf bags and clubs isU.S. Pat. No. 5,688,018 to John Albert Simpson. This patent disclosesanother roll-up type cover similar to U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,041 and sharesthe same disadvantages.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved canopy assembly forattachment onto a golf cart to protect golf bags and clubs located inthe back of the cart from rain. The invention allows the user to quicklyextend the canopy to protect clubs and bags from rainfall and just asquickly fold up the cover to allow access to the clubs. Additionally,the invention enables the user to quickly attach and detach the canopyonto the cart's golf bag support bracket on a variety of different golfcart makes and models since the invention utilizes a versatileattachment method that does not require attachment to the cart top.

Other advantages and features of the present invention will becomeapparent when viewed in light of the subsequent description of thepreferred embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a golf cart in which an embodimentof the present invention may be used;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the golf cart with canopyattachment members mounted to the cart;

FIG. 2A is an enlarged partial view of the front strut attachment to thegolf cart;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the golf cart with the embodimentof the present invention attached with the cover extended to protect thegolf bag and clubs from rain;

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of the embodiment of the presentinvention attached to the cart's bag support bracket without the cartpresent and with the cover extended;

FIG. 5 is a partial rear perspective view of the base member secured tothe bag support with the pivot arm and associated hardware exploded, thecanopy and cart are eliminated from clarity;

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the base member including the pivotarms secured to the bag support without the cart or the canopy present;

FIG. 6A is an enlarged partial view of the pivot arm mounted on the basemember;

FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of the base member only;

FIG. 7A is an enlarge partial view of the end of the base member;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the cart with the embodiment of thepresent invention attached and the canopy folded up to allow access tothe golf clubs;

FIG. 9 is a side perspective view of a first alternative embodiment ofthe present invention attached to the cart's bag support bracket; and

FIG. 10 is a side perspective view of a second alternative embodiment ofthe present invention attached to the cart's bag support bracket.

FIG. 10A is an enlarged partial view of the front strut ends shown inFIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a motorized golf cart 10 to which anembodiment of a canopy attachment in accordance with the presentinvention, generally indicated as a canopy assembly 34 in FIG. 3, can beattached. Cart 10 has a top 12 that is attached the upper ends oflaterally spaced apart vertically extending frame members consisting ofrear frame members 14A and 14B and the upper portion of a front framemember 16 using fasteners. Top 12 can be made of a molded plastic partand is used to protect passengers sitting in a passenger compartment 22from rain. The passengers sit on a seat 18 with their back resting on aseat back 20. Behind seat back 20 is a bag storage area 24.

With reference again to FIG. 1, bag storage area 24 is used to store oneor more golf bags 26 containing golf clubs 28. The bottom of golf bag 26rests on a bottom 30 of a cart body 36. The upper portion of the golfbag is supported by a U-shaped bag support 32 that prevents golf bag 26from tipping over. Bag support 32 can be made of a molded plastic partwith straps 54 attached to it to secure the golf bag to the bag support.Bag support 32 is mounted onto frame extensions 38A and 38B of cart 10using fastening means (not shown), as for example threaded bolts andnuts. Frame extensions 38A and 38B are made of metal and attached torear frames 14A and 14B by fastening means, welding or are a continuousextension of the rear frames. Frame extensions 38A and 38B may alsocontinue past rear frames 14A and 14B and support seat back 20. Theframe extensions and rear frames together makeup a frame assembly 21.

Referring again to FIG. 1, bag storage area 24 is generally formed aspart of cart body 36 that opens toward the rear of the cart. The bagstorage area is defined by bottom 30, two opposite sides 23, 25 and seatback 20. Top 12 has a front edge 11 and a rear edge 13 and is locatedabove passenger compartment 22. The top does not cover the bag storagearea to allow the player to remove golf clubs 28 from golf bag 26without hitting the golf club on the underside of top 12 while trying tolift the golf club out of the golf bag. Therefore, the bag storage areaand the golf bag are exposed to rainfall. In order to protect bagstorage area 24 it is necessary to have a cover that can be folded outof the way so that the player may remove the golf clubs without beinghindered by a covering directly above golf bag 26.

FIGS. 2 and 2A show the components necessary to mount an embodiment ofthis invention referred to as canopy assembly 34, shown in FIG. 3, tocart 10. A front strut 40 is secured to rear frame members 14A and 14Busing U-channels 42 that contain setscrews 44. Setscrews 44 threadthrough threaded bores in U-channels 42 bottom against front strut 40,pinching front strut 40 against rear frame members 14A and 14B. In thisway, the front strut is secured to an intermediate portion of the rearframe members supporting the top of the cart. The front strut providesstructural support for a top edge 90 of a canopy 84, shown in FIG. 3.Top edge 90 of canopy 84 is rolled and sewn, forming a sleeve 92. Frontstrut 40 slides through sleeve 92 before the front strut is attached torear frame members 14A and 14B. Alternatively, top edge 90 can bewrapped around the front strut. Front edges 122 can also be attached tofront strut 40 using similar methods. The front strut can be made frommetal, such as tubing or flat metal stock, however, strong plastic wouldalso work. U-channel 42 can be made from stamped or formed metalchannels or may be molded from high strength plastic. Setscrews 44 canbe made from metal or other high strength materials. The setscrews aretightened by the installer when front strut 40 is in the desiredlocation. When the bottom of the setscrew contacts the surface of frontstrut 40, U-channel 42 tightens against frame members 14A and 14B,holding the front strut in position.

There are numerous variations that could be made to front strut 40 andU-channel 42 without departing from the scope of the present invention.For example, the front strut could be made into a rectangular memberhaving four sides. This member could be connected together to form anearly continuous or entirely continuous rectangular loop. Front strut40 could also be made from a number of sections secured together.Therefore, the illustrated and described front strut 40 could bereplaced by another type of front strut that also provided structuralsupport for at least top edge 90 of canopy 84, shown in FIG. 3.U-channel 42 and setscrews 44 could be replaced by U-bolt assemblies orother types of clamping mechanisms. Also the clearance holes in thefront strut to allow the passage of the setscrews could be eliminated.In addition, the U-channel and the setscrew could be eliminated bydirectly mounting front strut 40 to rear frame members 14A and 14Bsupporting the top. This could be accomplished by using fasteners suchas rivets, bolts, self-tapping screws, magnets, clamps or other types offasteners to secure end portions 41A and 41B to rear frame members 14Aand 14B. The front strut could also be mounted to other portions offrame assembly 21 that supports top 12, seat back 20 and golf bagsupport 32 of the golf cart.

There are numerous variations that could be made to the described methodof attaching front strut 40 to top edge 90 and front canopy edge 122without departing from the scope of the present invention. Both edgescould wrap around the strut using either hook and loop fastening strips,snaps, buttons or other fastening means. In addition, the top edge andthe front canopy edge could be directly attached to the front strutusing rivets, snaps, hook and loop fastening strips or other fasteningmeans that would eliminate the need to wrap theses edges around thefront strut. Also, one may choose to only support top edge 90 and notsupport canopy front edges 122 with the front strut.

A base member 46 is a structural bracket that is attached to bag support32 by U-bolts 50, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The U-bolts surround thebag support and pass through holes 52 in flanges 58. Base member 46serves as a structural member for mounting a pivotal frame structure 97of canopy assembly 34, shown in FIG. 4. The base member may be made frommolded plastic, steel or other structurally strong materials.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, U-bolts 50 are used to secure base member 46to bag support 32 and are secured using washers 68 and nuts 82 that aremounted onto U-bolt ends 80. When the nuts are tightened, flanges 58contact the outer surface of bag support 32 clamping them together.U-bolts 50 can be made from metal as for example steel, however, moldedplastic would also work.

With reference to FIGS. 5, 7 and 7A, base member 46 can be made of onecontinuous piece of high strength molded plastic, as for example nylon,with a beam 56 spanning the upper portion and two mounting flanges 58extending from the bottom of the beam. The width of the beam correspondsto the width of the bag storage area. End faces 62A and 62B are locatedon opposite ends of beam 56. A cylindrical inner boss 60 extends fromeach end face 62A and 62B to form a mounting cylinder for a pivot arm64, shown in FIG. 6A, to mount onto. A cylindrical outer ring 61 alsoextends off of end faces 62A and 62B surrounding inner boss 60. Both theinner boss and the outer ring are formed as part of base member 46. Theouter ring provides a mating surface 63 that contacts a pivot face 65 onpivot arm 64 when the pivot arm is assembled onto inner boss 60 using ascrew 66. The surface to surface contact between surface 63 and pivotface 65 creates constant resistance to rotation of the pivot arm due tofriction between them. This resistance holds canopy 84, shown in FIG. 8,in a folded position when the user forces the canopy upward to allowaccess to golf clubs 28 and prevents the weight of canopy 84 fromrotating pivot arms 64 downward which would result in extending thecanopy. Beam 56 has a generally I-beam shaped cross section thatprovides structural rigidity for the base member 46. Flanges 58 providemounting extensions of the beam that contact the outer surface of bagsupport 32, as previously described. The flanges contain holes 52 thatthe ends of the U-bolts pass through. The flanges are formed as acontinuous part of beam 56.

There are numerous modifications and variations that could be made tothe described method of attaching pivot arms 64 to end faces 62A and 62Band attaching the base member to the bag support without departing fromthe scope of the present invention. For example, inner boss 60, outerring 61 and mating surface 63 could be eliminated with the pivot armdirectly mounting to the end faces using a type of fastener. In thisway, the pivot arm would rotate freely without resistance due tofriction. In addition, base member 46 secured to the bag support usingthreaded fasteners, rivets, clamping devices or other fasteners.

With reference to FIGS. 6A, 7 and 7A, on each end of beam 56 are endfaces 62A and 62B. Inner boss 60, formed as part of the base member,contains a small diameter screw bore 86 in the center of the boss. Thebore has a diameter slightly smaller than the outside diameter of thethreads on screw 66 and is sized to allow screw 66 to self-tap into thescrew bore to secure pivot arm 64 onto inner boss 60 on each end of beam56, as shown in FIG. 6. Washer 68 is used to distribute the clamp forceof screw 66 on pivot arm 64 holding the pivot arm on the inner boss andkeeping mating surface 63 in contact with the pivot face 65, shown inFIG. 5, on pivot arm 64.

With reference to FIGS. 5, 6A and 7A, pivot arm 64 is a separatelymolded plastic part made from a high strength, molded plastic, as forexample nylon. The pivot arm contains a pivot hole 88 that has adiameter that is slightly larger than the outside diameter of inner boss60 allowing the pivot arm to rotate around the inner boss when the pivotarm is slid over the boss and secured in place by washer 68 and screw66, as shown in FIG. 6A. Both the screw and the washer can be made ofsteel. Pivot arm 64 extends outward from a cylindrical mounting end 74and transitions to a rectangular cross section receiving a end 70, shownin FIG. 6A, that has a hollowed rectangular socket 72, shown in FIG. 5,that is sized to receive bracket ends 75 of a support bracket 76 asshown in FIG. 4. In this way, the pivot arms become a form of a pivotalattachment mechanism by pivotally connecting support bracket ends 75 tobase member 46.

There are numerous modifications and variations that could be made tothe described base member 46 and pivotal arms 64 without departing fromthe scope of the present invention. For example, pivot arms 64 could bemade from a number or different geometries that would still attach tothe ends of support bracket 76 onto base member 46. In addition, pivotarms 64 could be eliminated with support bracket ends 75 being directlyattached to base member 46 using a bolt, screw or other fastening meansthat would still allow the support bracket to rotate.

With reference again to FIGS. 4 and 5, support bracket 76 is used tostructurally support canopy 84 and is generally a U-shaped continuousrigid support with opposite bracket ends 75 that have a rectangularcross section to facilitate insertion into socket 72. In this way, thesupport bracket is pivotally connected to base member 46. The length ofsupport bracket 76 corresponds to the size of bag storage area 24 toensure that when the support bracket is extended it covers the majorityof the bag storage area. Near the ends of the support bracket 76 arerivet holes 94 that align with clearance holes 78 in the pivot arms toallow the insertion of rivets 45. Rivets 45 secure bracket ends 75 ofsupport bracket 76 into sockets 72 and prevent the ends of the supportbracket from coming out of sockets 72 because the rivets cannot slidethrough sockets 72.

There are numerous variations that could be made to the describedsupport bracket 76 without departing from the scope of the presentinvention. For example, other types of fastening means could be used tosecure the bracket ends 75 to pivot arms 64, as for example screws,bolts, or pins.

With reference again to FIG. 3, canopy 84 is made from a thin sheet offlexible water-resistant material like vinyl that is sewn together.Canopy 84 is defined by a canopy top 85 and two generally opposingcanopy sides 87 and 89. The canopy has a bottom edge 120, top edge 90and front canopy edges 122 that define the limits of the canopy.

With reference again to FIG. 4, support bracket 76 and a mid-supportbracket 96 together form pivotal frame structure 97 that supports thecanopy. The mid-support bracket is generally a U-shaped continuoussupport with opposite support ends 95 that have rectangular crosssections. The length of the mid-support bracket corresponds to thedesired shape of the canopy that it supports. Both the support bracketand the mid-support bracket are made of a semi-rigid material likespring steel or a high strength plastic, as for example nylon. Both thesupport bracket and mid-support bracket pass through sewn channels 124Aand 124B, respectively, in the canopy to locate them in the desiredposition within canopy 84. In this way, the canopy is attached tosupport bracket 76 and mid-support bracket 96. Support bracket 76 haspin holes 98A that align with pin holes 98B in mid-support bracket 96 toallow pins 100 to pass through, pivotally connecting the support bracketand mid-support bracket together. Lock pins 102 are assembled onto theends of pins 100 to secure the pins in position. In this way, themid-support bracket is free to pivot about pins 100 relative to supportbracket 76. Support bracket 76 and mid-support bracket 96 togethermakeup the pivotal frame structure for supporting the canopy.

There are numerous modifications and variations that could be made tothe described pivotal frame structure without departing from the scopeof the present invention. For example, the support bracket andmid-support bracket could both be connected to the base member, withoutconnecting to each other, eliminating the need for pins 100. Bothsupport bracket 76 and mid-support bracket 96 could be attached to thecanopy using either hook and loop fastening strips, snaps, buttons orother fastening means. In addition, the mid-support bracket could beeliminated, leaving only the front strut and the support bracket tocooperate to structurally support the canopy.

With reference again to FIGS. 3 and 4, canopy assembly 34 is attached tocart 10 and is extended to protect golf bag 26 and golf clubs 28 fromadverse weather conditions like rainfall. In the extended positionshown, canopy 84 is pulled taunt from front strut 40 and stretches overmid-support bracket 96 and down over support bracket 76. Therefore,front strut 40, mid-support bracket 96 and support bracket 76 cooperateto support canopy 84. In this way, canopy 84 covers bag storage area 24and remains in this position due to the weight of the canopy, supportbracket 76 and mid-support bracket 96.

With reference to FIG. 8, canopy assembly 34 is attached to cart 10 andis shown in a folded up position to allow access to golf bag 26 and golfclubs 28. Canopy 84 is folded up from the extended position, as shown inFIG. 4, by gripping the bottom of canopy 84 near support bracket 76 andlifting the support bracket upwardly, toward the back of top 12. Themoment force created from this lifting action causes pivot arms 64 torotate around inner bosses 60. The mid-support bracket pivots relativeto support bracket 76 around pins 100. At approximately the halfwaypoint of folding up the canopy, support bracket 76 contacts mid-supportbracket 96 with the cover material folded in-between them and begins torotate upwardly toward the back of top 12. When the lifting action iscompleted, as shown in FIG. 8, both support bracket 76 and mid-supportbracket 96 are substantially vertical and the user may release thecanopy. The friction between mating surfaces 63 on beam 56 and pivotface 65 on each pivot arm 64 prevents the canopy from falling back intothe extended position. Therefore, the canopy is held in the foldedposition, as shown in FIG. 8, by the friction between mating surface 63and pivot face 65. If the weather conditions improve and the playerwishes to have the cover retained in the folded position while drivingthe cart, he or she may choose to fasten the cover in this positionusing the hook and loop fastening method, shown in FIG. 8. A hook strap104 is sewn to the canopy on the outer face near top edge 90 and iswrapped around the folded canopy and attached to a loop strap 106 thatis sewn to the inner face of the canopy near the top edge. The playermay extend the canopy by separating the hook strap from the loop strapand pulling the bottom of canopy 84 near support bracket 76 downwardlyand toward the back of the cart. This will extend the cover over bagstorage area 24, as shown in FIG. 3.

There are numerous variations that could be made to the describedretention method without departing from the scope of the presentinvention. For example, the friction between mating surface 63 and pivotface 65 could be eliminated and the canopy retained in the foldedposition using hook and loop fasteners as described or snaps, buttons,magnetic strips, ties or other securing means.

In a first alternative embodiment of this invention, shown in FIG. 9,pivot arms 64 and rivet holes 94 are eliminated. Pivot holes 194 areassembled directly onto end faces 62A and 62B. In the first alternativeembodiment, a first modified support bracket 176 is pivotally attacheddirectly to base member 46 using screws 66. In addition, front strut 40has been replaced by a first modified front strut 140 that is attacheddirectly to frame extensions 38A and 38B that support seat back 20. Theattachment is made using rivets 108 that pass though first modified endportions 141A and 141B and secure in the frame extensions. It should beunderstood that the rivets could be replaced by screws, bolts, clamps orother fasteners. First modified front strut 140 could also attach toother portions of frame assembly 21.

In a second alternative embodiment of this invention, shown in FIG. 10,a second modified front strut 240 is attached to frame extensions 38Aand 38B that support bag support 32. The second modified front strut isattached to the frame extensions using U-channel 42 and setscrews 44 aspreviously described. However, the second modified strut could also bedirectly attached to the frame extensions using screws, bolts, clamps orother fasteners.

CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE OF INVENTION

Although the description above contains many specificities, these shouldnot be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merelyproviding illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodimentsof this invention. For example, the plastic molded base member 46 couldbe replaced with a steel or wood base member; the base member could havea different shape or be made of an assembly of different parts; theU-bolts used to mount the base member to the bag support could bereplaced with another fastening means like a threaded nut and boltpassing through the bag support, rivets, screws or clamps; screw 66fastening pivot arms 64 onto inner boss 60 could be replaced by snapfitting pivot hole 88 over a corresponding inner boss; one pivot arm 64could be removed by only attaching one end of support bracket 76 to basemember 46; pivot arm socket 72 could be eliminated with support bracket76 attaching another way to the pivot arm; mid-support bracket 96 couldalso be directly attached to base member 46 or additional pivot arms 64instead of attaching to the mid-section of support bracket 76, etc.

Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appendedclaims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.

What is claimed is:
 1. A canopy assembly for attaching a rearwardlyextending canopy to a golf cart having a seating compartment, a golf bagcompartment located rearwardly of said seating compartment, a topassembly including a top positioned over said seating compartment andadditionally including front and rear laterally spaced apart andvertically extending frame members supporting said top, a golf bagsupport bracket located rearwardly of said seating compartment securedto said golf cart, said canopy assembly being moveable between anextended first position where it at least partially covers said golf bagcompartment and a folded second position where it is folded out of theway to allow access to said golf bag compartment, said canopy assemblycomprising: a canopy having a top edge, a bottom edge and sides; a framestructure substantially supporting said canopy; a base member forsupporting said frame structure, wherein said frame structure ispivotally attached to said base member; and fastening means for securingsaid base member to the golf bag support bracket.
 2. The canopy assemblyaccording to claim 1 further comprising fastening means for attachingsaid frame structure to said canopy.
 3. The canopy assembly according toclaim 2 wherein said fastening means includes at least one sleeve sewninto said canopy wherein at least a portion of said frame structurepasses through said sleeve.
 4. The canopy assembly according to claim 1wherein said frame structure is pivotally attached to said base memberby assembling a first hole near a first end of said frame structure anda second hole near a second end of said frame structure onto matingbosses extending from said base member and securing said frame structureon said bosses.
 5. The canopy assembly according to claim 1 wherein saidframe structure includes at least one rigid U-shaped bracket.
 6. Thecanopy assembly according to claim 1 wherein said base member is amolded part.
 7. The canopy assembly according to claim 1 wherein saidfastening means for securing said base member to said golf bag supportbracket includes at least one U-bolt surrounding said golf bag supportbracket with the ends of said U-bolt passing through openings in saidbase member.
 8. The canopy assembly according to claim 1 wherein saidfastening means for securing said base member to said golf bag supportbracket includes at least one threaded fastener passing through saidgolf bag support bracket and continuing into said base member.
 9. Thecanopy assembly according to claim 1 wherein said frame structure ispivotally attached to said base member by a pivot arm pivotally securedto said base member using fastening means for securing said pivot arm tosaid base member wherein at least one end of said frame structure issecured to said pivot arm.